Craig: Not-so-quiet riot at the Dome

NFL player salaries are paid during the regular season, so Vikings owner Zygi Wilf technically paid Brett Favre $12 million to win two more games than Tarvaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte won in 2008.

That sounds like a lot of dough for two victories. But then you listen to Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo talk about getting the you-know-what kicked out of him during a 34-3 divisional playoff loss to the Vikings. The same Vikings who used those two extra wins to claim the NFC's No. 2 seed, a bye and a game at Mall of America Field at Metrodome.

"When I look back after playing in this game, instantly I think back to a couple of times during the season when we had an opportunity to get that No. 2 seed," Romo said. "I think it would have been nice to play this one at home. Their ability to get off the ball at this place is really pretty good."

Pretty good? Try historically awesome. As in a franchise-playoff- record six sacks. As in stripping Romo of the ball twice, recovering both fumbles, forcing an interception and possibly making Tony suck his thumb and/or wet his pants.

The Vikings don't play this way on the road. Not even close. On the road, they're 4-4 heading to the Super- dome for Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Saints (14-3). At home, the Vikings are big, quick men playing against hesitant boys as 63,547 animals stand and scream their fool heads off.

It's a combo that made the Vikings the NFL's only unbeaten team at home during the 2009 season (9-0).

"They're really good playing at their home place because it allows them to do what they're schematically built to do," Romo said. "It would have helped tremendously if I was able to use a lot of variance in the snap count, do some different things to get into different plays. But it's a lot more difficult to do in this environment."

"I think we had more success than we were generally expected to have this year," said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, whose team ended a 12-season playoff victory drought this season. "I'm disappointed but not discouraged. This just shows you how important it is to keep getting better and get that home-field advantage."

Romo celebrated his first career playoff victory at home on Jan. 9. Eight days later, the Vikings' front four had him running like a man trapped in a burning gas station. On the ninth play from scrimmage, defensive end Ray Edwards had the first of his three sacks and forced a fumble the Vikings recovered.

Romo's day didn't get any better with 12:14 left in the second quarter when veteran left tackle Flozell Adams limped off the field because of a calf injury. He never returned.

Doug Free replaced Adams and, naturally, struggled to slow down Jared Allen. But Allen's one sack and forced fumble came when he beat pass-catching tight end Jason Witten, who was assigned to block Allen one-on-one. Talk about being set up to fail.

"It's tough, but it's part of the job," Witten said. "We're asked to make those plays. I've got to make that play."

"I don't think he was [skittish]," Witten said. "Absolutely not. He's played great all year. He was back there trying to create and make plays for us. But when they get up quick on you, they don't have to play the run. They're able to line up wide and just take off. That's hard to stop with that crowd noise."

Crowd noise in the playoffs is a powerful thing. In fact, everything the Cowboys said on Sunday could be what the Vikings are saying about the Big Not So Easy next Sunday.